[cryptome] Re: General & Particular Warrants And the Protection of Privacy under the 4th Amendment

From: Shaun O'Connor <capricorn8159@xxxxxxxxx>

To: cryptome@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2016 15:05:47 +0000

full circle by all accounts...

On 23/01/2016 14:22, douglas rankine wrote:

see url:https://cryptome.org/2016/01/ulbricht-appeal-045.pdf
This should be an important case in US Civil Liberties. It concerns
the legality of mass seizure/collection of information without a
particular warrant being in operation. i.e. Should the state be
allowed under the US Constitution to collect information en masse,
under a general warrant. Can any US government
security/intelligence/law enforcement agency collect/seize any
information or thing it likes under the 4th Amendment?. Or should it
have the legal right to only collect/seize information against a
particular person or property belonging to that person, by naming it
and the criminal reason for it in a warrant which is granted by a
court or judge?

The US Constitution 4th Amendment was created by the founding fathers
to answer the case of general warrants, warrants of assistance which
were used by the Britiish authorities to search and seize the papers
of political dissidents before independence. Yes...it's true, the US
establishment, Washington, Adams, were once considered as a bunch of
dissidents, political malcontents and terrorists, by the British
establishment, but they became recognised as respectable when they
gained political, legal and sovereign independence. Biggest mistake us
Brits ever made...in my opinion...:-) . See where the world is now...
ATB
Dougie.